To Teach in Shadows
by Taraum
Summary: He thinks I'm teasing him.  If only he knew that I can see his fate, and I'm a part of it.  Still, I have to wonder...can one night really make any difference?


**Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars in any way, shape, or form. Also, this is rated M for a reason; there is sexual content here. If you're too young, please don't read it. That being said, this is my first mature fic. Please don't flame; I tried my best!**

_Blaster fire rained down on their squad. Jet and Runt were the first to go down. Poor Runt…he had been so excited; it was his first mission. As the squad had retreated to the safety of the rocks, Comm and Lee had fallen. Still the blaster fire rained down. The sun of Geonosis beat down; the wind howled through the canyon. Brothers were falling all around him, but still he kept his gaze trained up. They were getting slaughtered; where was General Unduli? His heart skipped a beat when he heard the deadly hum of her lightsaber, when he saw the blur of green leap out of the gunship and shout for retreat. He nudged Colt to run and kept his gaze up, still trying his best to scrap at least one of the damn clankers…_

Casse gasped softly and tore her eyes away. Closing them, she focused on the steady beat of the drums. Or was that her heart pounding? Her knuckles were probably white, considering how hard her fists were clenched. Her nails dug into her palms, close to drawing blood from the level of pain she was feeling. She heard a rustling but knew better than to open her eyes. The clomp of heavy boots stopped about a foot in front of her, and Casse shook her head at her own idiocy. No doubt the soldier thought she was teasing him. If only he knew the truth. If only he knew that she had just read every thought he'd ever had, that if she looked into his eyes again she would see his doom. Because she knew he was doomed. Even he knew he was doomed, eventually. He just didn't want to admit it.

He cleared his throat, but Casse kept her eyes shut. She didn't care if he thought she was mad; she didn't want to have to see it again. Ever since the clones had saved their village from the Separatists, she hadn't gotten a decent night's sleep. Although she appreciated their help in rebuilding their home, she would not be able to rest until they left. Every time she made the mistake of staring too long, she would be forced to witness the pain, suffering, and death yet again. A few moments passed, and she heard him shift, undoubtedly crouching down in front of her. The moments continued passing, and she felt the warmth from his form begin to seep into her. She heard him chuckle before his deep voice washed over her. "Are we that ugly to look at?"

Casse felt her mouth twitch up into a smile. This was Lucian. Lucian the joker. Lucian the curious. Lucian the fighter. Lucian the rebel. Maybe…maybe it was worth it. Opening her eyes, she was seized by the urge to shift back. He was less than an inch from her face. Casse kept her gaze on his lips, not quite ready for his eyes yet. They were tanned and full, and a small scar rounded one side. His hand lifted her chin up, but she kept her eyes off to the side. "If you want to kiss me, you only have to ask," he chuckled. His voice was light, but she heard the slightest hint of vulnerability behind it. Not to mention desire. Casse laughed lightly; men were all the same, whether they were clones or the original. Enough already. She looked up into Lucian's eyes.

They were large and brown, with a few flecks of gold around the irises. A small scar rested just below his eye…_The infirmary was cold, sterile, dead. He heard the moans of his brothers, the soft sighs as some of them passed away. He knew he too would soon feel the release. His thoughts flickered back to Sellucamai, back to the soft shadows firelight cast in the cabin. He thought back to his son, to the vulnerability he felt holding the infant in his arms. He thought back to the warm smile Casse gave him, to the look of glee in her emerald eyes, to the warmth of her body, and the scent of her sable hair. Her face was the last thing he remembered, and everything blurred._ _The light consumed him. _

Casse swallowed, hard. Lucian smirked arrogantly, but she couldn't bring herself to care. He didn't understand, she knew. He thought she was being stunned by his looks; in reality she was being stunned by the gain and loss of him in less than ten minutes. How could he understand what it meant to know someone so intimately in such a short time? How could he understand what it meant to lose them just as quickly? Should she walk away now, save herself the heartache? And yet, if she walked away, would it even matter? She had seen his dying thoughts, and she was in them.

Before Casse knew what she was doing, she was crushing his lips to hers. The sheer force she put into it almost knocked him over, but he managed to steady himself. His hand instinctively roamed her back until it reached the nape of her hair. He gently pulled her head back, exposing her throat. He placed a kiss on the side of her neck before gently biting down. "Perhaps we should take this inside, before my CO sees us," he laughed. His words sent a thrill down Casse's spine, and she nodded.

Standing, she held out her hand to the crouching clone. His eyes widened fractionally, and her heart twinged a bit. It only came from the realization that she was his first; it was not from knowing what he would become to her. It was _not_ from knowing that he would die…that she would eventually lose him. Still he hesitated. Casse felt her mouth twitch up. For all of his swagger, he was still so unsure. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair. He shouldn't have been _bred_. He should have been born. She shouldn't be forced to teach him in the shadows; he should have learned the way she did, in the recklessness and beauty of youth. Not in the crazy desire to experience as much as possible before his life was snuffed out mercilessly. He took her hand.

Emerald eyes sparkling, Casse turned and led him into her cabin. He closed the door behind him, and Casse turned around slowly. His feet were planted shoulder-width apart (no doubt as habit from inspections) and his arms were crossed over his chest. But his eyes were focused solely on her. "What?" she laughed. His answer was to slowly run his gaze from the crown of her head to the soles of her feet. His eyes lingered on her chest, and Casse felt her face heat up. When Lucian looked up at her face, he broke into a grin.

"Nothing. Just enjoying the view," he murmured.

"Why don't you do more than just view?" Casse challenged, biting her bottom lip. Lucian straightened up just a little and glanced down at his boots. Casse felt her heart leap at the sight; she hated seeing him vulnerable. "Lucian, I know that I'm your first," she admitted, placing a hand on his cheek. His eyes widened.

"How did you know that? And how did you know my name?" he asked, shocked.

"Some of us have…special abilities. I have the ability to read minds if I look at someone long enough. I…know more about you than you think," she replied, casting her gaze to the floor. He was silent for several moments. Casse resisted the urge to sigh. "You can leave if you want, and I won't think less of you. You wouldn't be the first to have trouble accepting this."

Lucian stepped back, and Casse closed her eyes. Agonizing seconds passed as she waited to hear the door close. Instead, she felt him step closer to her before placing a kiss on her neck. He began trailing kisses slowly from her ear to her shoulder, and Casse shivered. "As long as you don't embarrass me, I really don't care," he murmured against her neck.

"I could snitch about that time on Ryloth," she chuckled, linking her arms around his neck.

Lucian went still and pulled away, his eyes full of mischief. "Would you really?" he grinned.

"If you aren't up to par," Casse threatened lightly, glancing down.

"Oh, I'm up to par," Lucian laughed. "I can assure you of that."

"Then prove it," she quipped, unlocking herself from his grasp and sauntering into the next room. When she reached the doorframe, she leaned against it and kicked off her boots. "I'm waiting." Casse turned around to sit on her bed, but before she could reach it she felt herself being lifted. The next thing she knew, she was pinned to her bed, Lucian over her and a wicked light in his eyes.

"Milady, you should know that clones don't appreciate being teased," he grinned. That being said, he began kissing down her neck, stopping only briefly to pull her tunic over her head. As he lavished attention on her chest, Casse tried to run her hands over his back, only to be met with cold armor. _The medbay was sterile, cold, dead_. No! Casse shook her head, determined to rid herself of the thoughts. Lucian looked down at her, his brown eyes anxious. "Something wrong?" he asked.

"Too many clothes," she smiled, rapping a knuckle against his breastplate.

"Easily fixed," he grunted, leaning up to tear off his armor. Casse laughed and joined him. By the time they were done, Casse was blushing furiously. He was covered in muscles and extremely…endowed. Lucian burst out laughing at the sight of her face before returning his attention to her chest. Casse closed her eyes and ran her hands over his back, loving the feel of warm skin under her palms. Lucian's mouth left a feeling of fire wherever it touched, and after a time Casse clutched his shoulders to keep from flying apart. Her hips bumped into his instinctively, and Lucian let out a small gasp.

His hands hovered over the waist of her leggings, and Casse nodded. Slowly, Lucian peeled them down before tossing them over into a corner. Fully exposed, Casse felt her face flame even more. He stared at her core for a moment before looking up into her eyes. Casse bit her lip at the sheer heat of his gaze. "Please don't do that," he practically begged, running a hand down her thigh.

"Why?" she breathed, grinning up at him.

"I won't last if you do," he groaned before gently stroking two fingers into her. Casse gripped the sheets and closed her eyes. She counted backwards from one thousand, thought of her most boring tech lessons, listed the constellations backwards. Anything to keep from coming apart before he was inside her. "Look at me," Lucian rasped, and Casse's eyes snapped open. His eyes were glazed with longing, his breathing was rapid, and his entire body was trembling. "Can I?"

Casse nodded and pulled his head down to hers. As his mouth covered hers, he slowly pushed into her. Casse dug her nails into his shoulders and willed herself not to implode before he was fully inside. He was going too slowly; didn't he know what he was doing to her? Casse gently shifted her hips to take him in deeper, and Lucian lost his control. He slammed his hips into hers, and Casse let out a shrill whimper as he settled inside her. Within seconds her muscles contracted, her limbs shook, and pleasure was the only thing she knew. She felt Lucian thrust into her three more times before he bit into her shoulder to muffle his shout.

When he came down off his high, Lucian looked down at her, his brown eyes worried. "What is it?" Casse asked, running a hand over a trembling bicep.

"How was it…for you?" he whispered, avoiding her gaze. Gently, Casse cupped his chin and forced him to look at her.

"It was rushed, but that's to be expected the first time. But believe me, I'm satisfied. I get the feeling tonight is going to be very memorable," she chuckled.

Lucian looked down at her again, his eyes warm. "I'm glad it was you," he smiled.

"You don't even know me," Casse replied, her mind wandering back to his thoughts. Her heart twisted a little.

"I feel like I do," he shrugged.

"You will," she whispered, pulling him down to kiss him again. Lucian returned it with equal fervor. By the time the night was over, Casse could barely move and Lucian was in much the same dilemma. They slept for a time, but Casse woke with the rising of the sun. Lucian had pulled her against him in sleep, and his arm was locked securely around her waist. His chest moved in a steady rhythm, and Casse took comfort in the normalcy of the whole moment. _The light consumed him_. Casse felt her heart sink, but she refused to dwell on the thought. Lucian stirred behind her. Casse twisted around to face him, and he grinned at her. She rolled her eyes and kissed him. They could deal with the future later. For the moment…for life, however short it would be…he was hers. And she was his.


End file.
